James Beard - Taste America

You're in for a day packed with incredible flavors. Join us at participating Sur La Table stores for free cooking demonstrations by award-winning celebrity chefs and esteemed local chefs, attend book signings and more. Wrap up your day in a hands-on cooking class to prepare dishes from Best of the Best, the James Beard Foundation's cookbook filled with recipes from their renowned chefs.

Denotes a book signing after the chef demo.

Demos: Kitchen space is limited for chef demos. Admittance for all daytime demos will be by reservation only. Each reservation is limited to a maximum of 4 persons. Please RSVP in order to guarantee your space. Indicate the city, number of guests, and time of the cooking demonstration you wish to attend. Guests with reservations will be able to wait in a line one hour before each demo to be admitted into the demos. On the day of the event, additional space may be available on a first come first serve basis. A stand by line will be available for this purpose. Each demo will be an hour.

Book Signings: Book Signings will follow each demo. Only books purchased at Sur La Table will be available to be signed. A separate line for guests only interested in the book signings will be available 30 minutes before the demo start time.

One of the country's leading chefs and restaurateurs, Barbara Lynch, founder and CEO of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, oversees eight celebrated culinary concepts in Boston: No.9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Stir, Drink, Sportello, 9 at Home and Menton, Boston's only Relais & Chateaux property, as well as the Barbara Lynch Foundation.

Anne Quatrano

Bacchanalia, Atlanta

1:00 pm

A New England girl with a Southern spirit, she's one of the chefs behind six of Atlanta's top restaurants.

From Singapore to Santa Monica, Sherry Yard has embraced a range of culinary responsibilities throughout her career. She got her start at the Rainbow Room, followed by stints at Montrachet and Tribeca Grill. She then headed west to join Wolfgang Puck as executive pastry chef at Spago. She'll soon revive the iconic Helms Bakery, an LA institution.

Chris Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

1:00 pm

A master of artisanal pizza, Chris is a major force behind the new generation of independent pizzerias.

A self-taught pioneer, Patrick O'Connell is known for refined, regional cuisine made in the Virginia countryside using locally produced ingredients. Long before the farm-to-table movement had a name, he began cultivating relationships with his neighboring producers. His restaurant, The Inn at Little Washington, has garnered numerous awards over the years.

A globetrotting diplomat's son, Marc Murphy cultivated his love of the world's cuisines at a young age. With over 20 years in the business, he's worked in some of the world's most esteemed kitchens, including Le Cirque and Alain Ducasses' Louis XV. Today, he's chef and owner of Benchmarc Restaurants (Landmarc and Ditch Plains) in New York City.

A leading modern Latin chef, Aarón Sánchez is the chef/owner of Mestizo in Leawood, Kansas, and the recently opened Paloma in Stamford, CT and Johnny Sánchez with friend and colleague Chef John Besh in Baltimore. A co-star of Food Network's Chopped, he stars in FOX Life's hit series, 3 Minutos Con Aarón and the travel-food series, Motochefs.

A native of Birmingham, England, April Bloomfield has honed her craft on both sides of the pond, including Kensington Place in the UK, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, and The River Café in New York City. In 2004, April and restaurateur Ken Friedman opened NYC's first gastropub, The Spotted Pig, which earned one Michelin star for six consecutive years.

Internationally lauded, Grant Achatz began working in his parents' restaurant as soon as he could walk. Known for innovative, emotional and modernist cuisine, he's been named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Chef Achatz is chef and co-owner of NEXT, the Aviary and Michelin-three-starred Alinea, all in Chicago.

Cathy & Tony Mantuano

Spiaggia, Chicago

1:00 pm

Meet the award-winning wine expert/chef team behind Michelin-starred Spiaggia and two cookbooks.

Born in Da Lat, Vietnam, Charles Phan immigrated to San Francisco in 1977. While his career veered first into architecture and then into software, a deep love of food and cooking for his family were never far away. When his plans for a small crêperie fell through, Chef Phan and his family opened The Slanted Door to phenomenal success.

One of LA's most influential chefs, Ludo Lefebvre is chef/owner of the wildly popular Trois Mec. Prior to that, he made a name for himself as executive chef at L'Orangerie and Bastide—two of the city's most acclaimed restaurants—where he quickly established a reputation for combining Old World simplicity and New World imagination.

Jamie Bissonnette

Coppa, Boston

1:00 pm

A champion of nose-to-tail cuisine, he's known for his charcuterie and dedication to sustainable purveyors.

Born in Manila and classically trained in French and Japanese cuisine, Paul Qui takes a modernist approach toward food, one in which there are no boundaries. Chef/proprietor at qui restaurant and East Side King, a group of food trailers and restaurants, in Austin, Texas, Paul is also the winner of season nine of Bravo's Top Chef.